Pairing the idiosyncratic talents of Beck, Tom Waits, Bright Eyes and the Flaming
Lips with the legendary songwriting of Daniel Johnston, The Late, Great Daniel
Johnston: Discovered Covered is a tribute album  due out Sept. 21 on
Gammon
Records  that should introduce the cult singer/songwriter to a new generation.

The album will also feature renditions of Johnston's songs by Death Cab for Cutie,
Eels, TV on the Radio, Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Vic Chestmutt, Clem Snide,
and Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes, among others.
In addition to a CD of covers, there will be a second CD with the original versions
of all the songs, performed by Johnston and drawn from his extensive catalogue.

Discovered Covered is co-produced by Mark Linkous (of Sparklehorse), who produced
Johnston's most recent album, Fear Yourself, and Gammon Records' Jordan
Trachtenberg (Gammon released Fear Yourself). The duo spent over two years
putting the project together.

Johnston, an outsider who has long battled a bipolar disorder, combines a childlike
singing style with crude recording. Considered one of the forefathers of lo-fi
music-making, Johnston influenced a number of artists in the alt-rock underground
during the '80s and '90s, including Kurt Cobain, who often sported a Johnston
T-shirt. His recordings are marked by a heart-on-his-sleeve, nothing-to-hide
honesty.

Due to his struggle with both mental illness and the economics of being
an underground musician, Johnston, now in his early 40s, has not been able
to move out of his parents' home. Linkous and Trachtenberg are earmarking a portion
of profits from sales of the compilation toward helping Johnston get a place
of his own.